The use of illumination in a shoe is well known in the art, such as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,800,133; 2,931,843; 4,014,115; 4,020,572; 4,158,922; 1,933,243; 4,130,951; 4,128,861; 4,112,601; 3,946,505; 3,008,038; 2,976,622; 3,067,322 and 2,572,760. The above patents are exemplary of a multitude of different types of arrangements for providing illumination in a shoe. However, none of these prior art arrangements known to applicant provides a child's slipper in which a recognizable character rendition which comprises a child's night light is capable of being periodically illuminated with each step by the child so that the night light accompanies the child during step by step traversal of a path, nor such an arrangement in which a night light is selectively actuated by direct flexing movement of a switch in conjunction with the flexing of the bottom sole portion of the slipper during each step by the child. Moreover, none of the above prior art arrangements readily enables a day/night mode for permitting the light source operation to be selectively disabled during the daytime when the aforementioned night light is not normally desired and enabled during the nighttime when the accompanying night light is desired by the child. Furthermore, there are no such prior art arrangements known to applicant in which a substantially transparent housing for the light source and battery includes a rubber seal interface disposed between the switch and switch actuator for providing a waterproof housing in which electrical closure of the switch is obtained through the rubber seal so as to enable the housing interior to remain insulated from ambient during electrical closure of the switch. This concept is particularly important in a child's slipper where safety is of the utmost consideration. Thus, the sealed housing prevents moisture from entering and shorting the electrical contacts while at the same time preventing leakage of potentially harmful battery acid therefrom.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 2,572,760, referred to above, discloses an illuminated shoe having a step type of switch, the switch is not one in which there is direct flexing action to close the switch nor one in which a rubber seal interface is employed to waterproof the housing and enable electrical closure of the switch through the rubber seal interface. Rather, the device disclosed in this reference is an elaborate ball type arrangement in which the ball is moved so as pivot a lever with each step or, alternatively, a spring switch in which a spring at the end of a rod is compressed by contacting the ground each time a step is taken. Neither of these arrangements is satisfactory for providing a child's slipper of the type referred to above. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,067,322, referred to above, discloses a light which may clip onto a slipper; however, once the foot is placed in the slipper, the light continually remains on draining the battery. Moreover, there is no disclosure or suggestion of the aforementioned rubber seal interface which waterproofs the housing and enables periodic electrical closure of the switch through the rubber seal interface.
Thus, although the prior art known to applicant as referred to above is quite diverse, applicant is not aware of any satisfactory children's slippers capable of providing a periodically illuminable night light with each step by the child. This is particularly important to young children to whom a night light in the form of a recognizable character provides reassurance if the child should awake during the night and must leave the bedroom, such as to go to the bathroom. Moreover, such a device will encourage the child to wear the slippers during the time when they are most needed.